Linked
by Madame Atomic Bomb
Summary: Her mother does not approve. Zuki


"So, let me get this straight.. _You_ want to marry _my_ daughter?"

Zuko swallowed, cowed by the acidic bite in the voice of the woman standing before him with her hands on her hips. It was easy to see where Suki got her looks; she was the spitting image of her mother. In her mid-forties, Nari was still statuesque and beautiful, with the fluid grace of a fighter. No wonder; she had once been the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors in her youth, and she had retained her fighter's physique through years of toil in her workshop. Her blue eyes, so very like Suki's, peered into Zuko's, piercing him.

"Mother," Suki started, but Nari put her leather gloved hand, stilling her daughter.

"Young lady, you have the nerve to show up on my doorstep out of nowhere and tell me you're engaged to a man I've never even _met?"_ She was talking to Suki, but her eyes never left Zuko's face. Her soot-streaked jaw was working, her booted foot tapping on the workshop floor. Behind her, a barrel-chested man pumped the bellows, sweating and straining as he heated the forge. Zuko could tell he was listening, whomever he was, but he hadn't interrupted.

"You met him once!" Suki protested.

Her mother's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, did I? Was that before or after set fire to our village?"

"That was a long time ago, mom!"

"Mmmhmm. And what happened to that Water Tribe boy you swore was the man of your dreams?"

Zuko pressed his lips together and glanced at Suki, who put her hand on her forehead.

"We broke up."

"Well, I would hope so, considering you're engaged to another man," Nari said with a smirk and crossed her arms over her worn leather apron, her muscular arms shining with sweat in the hot blacksmith shop. All around them were piles of weaponry, exquisitely made, finely crafted and polished to perfection. A whole wall of golden fans was on display, showcasing the talent of the woman who had made them. Nari had a gift.

She was also looking at Zuko like a particularly nasty smear on her shoe.

"Mom, don't start," Suki said wearily, but Nari was still glaring at Zuko, her lips pursing.

"And what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Uhh... I love your daughter very much?" Zuko said, finding his tongue with difficulty.

"And you think just because you're the Fire Lord and live in a palace and have a thousand servants and money that you can make my daughter happy?"

"He _does_ make me happy, mom. And I don't care about all of that stuff."

"I wasn't talking to you. Answer me, young man."

Zuko glanced at Suki and then back at her mother. "I want to spend the rest of my life with her, ma'am. I can't imagine my life without her. I know I made mistakes in the past, and I can understand why you'd be upset that we sort of dropped this in your lap, but hope you'll give us your blessing. It's very important to Suki. And to me."

Nari eyed the two of them for a long moment and then dropped her arms. "Prove to me you're good enough for my daughter and we'll talk."

Suki let out an exasperated noise, a protest forming in her mouth. She was interrupted by the man working the bellows, who turned his head in Nari's direction.

"Sorry to intrude, but we've got a blow out over here!" he called, causing Nari to curse and turn toward him, dropping her arms.

"What is it this time?"

"Bellows are busted. I can't get the temperature up," the man said as Nari went over to the fire and inspected it.

"Shit. It'll take hours to patch this and we have to fill that anchor chain order by tomorrow so that merchant ship can sail out," Nari groused.

"What's wrong?" Suki asked, coming over. Zuko trailed behind her, still cowed by her mother's sharp tongue and scathing disapproval. Nari looked up, flicking her short, ruddy brown hair out of her face.

"Bellows again," she said bitterly.

"I'm not surprised, you keep patching the same one. Just buy a new one already!" Suki said, hands on her hips in a gesture that reminded Zuko of her mother.

"She's right, you know," the man said and Zuko had the feeling that it was an old argument. Nari blew out a stubborn breath and then stood.

"Well, I'm not gonna get one overnight, and that order has to be filled. Dammit," she cursed, hitting her fist on her thigh.

"Hon, it's okay," the man said, touching her arm gently, his voice soothing. Beside him, Suki's eyes narrowed on him.

"I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Suki, Nari's daughter. And this is Zuko, my fiance," Suki said, sticking out her hand. The man took it immediately, giving her a solid shake. He did the same with Zuko, his face reddening a little beneath his bushy black beard. Clearly, he was aware of who Zuko was.  
"Han, it's a pleasure to meet you both. Especially you, Suki. Your mother talks about you all of the time," he said warmly, beaming at them. Nari's expression was tight-lipped and it didn't reach her eyes.

"Really? She didn't mention she had a new helper in the shop," Suki said pointedly, turning her knowing gaze on her mother. Nari clapped her hands together as Han looked askance at the Warrior-turned-blacksmith.

"Didn't I? Silly me," she mumbled and then turned back to the forge. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to refund the money the merchant paid me, or try and convince him to wait in the port until I finish the chain. There's no way we can get this fire hot enough to heat the iron..."

Zuko looked past her, studying the forge. "Actually, I think I can help with that, ma'am."

Nari's eyebrow arched as Zuko lifted his hand, a flame flickering above his palm. She studied him for a long moment.

"How hot can you get it?"

"Should get the job done," he said assuredly. "Just show me where to put it."

A quick smile flashed on Suki's mother's mouth and she glanced at her daughter. "Isn't he confident?"

"That's my man," Suki said, grinning at him.

It wasn't long before Zuko was sweating in front of the fire, stoking the flames with bending. Steadily the fire became hotter and hotter. He watched as Han heated long strips of iron until they blazed red in the flames. He passed them to Nari, who then shaped them into links, hammering them closed. Wordlessly, Suki dunked them into a bucket of water with a sizzle. The sound of the hammer against the anvil was a steady staccato rhythm in his ears as he kept up the temperature all of them sweating in the hot, sooty air of the workshop.

After several hours, it seemed, Han clapped him on the back and he relaxed, dropping his arms with a ragged sigh. The bearded man handed him a skin of water and he took several grateful gulps, and then dumped the rest on his head. The water practically sizzled off of his skin.

He turned to look at the chain they had forged, an odd feeling of pride coming over him. Nari examined it and then nodded.

"It'll do," she said and looked up at Zuko, who wiped the sweat and water off of his face with one shaking, sooty hand. Nari walked over to him, eying him down for a long moment. "Not bad, Fire Lord."

"Thanks."

"You really wanna marry my daughter?"

"Yes," he said emphatically.

"Then I suppose you have my approval," she said and held out her hand. Zuko took it, shaking it and then kissing the backs of her leather-covered fingers. She snatched her hand back and glanced at Suki, snorting, " _Royalty._ "

"He's a gentleman," Suki said, a smile on her sweaty face, her short brown hair frizzy in the heat of the workshop.

"Well, with stamina like that, I'm not surprised you're keen on marrying him," Nari snarked.

"MO-OM!" Suki gasped as Nari laughed. Zuko fought a grin, meeting Suki's gaze. Despite their rocky start, he had a feeling he was going to like having Nari as a mother-in-law. He could definitely see where Suki got it from.

"Leave the girl alone, honey," Han said, clapping Zuko on the shoulder again, so hard that Zuko nearly stumbled. "Remember what it was like when we got married?"

Both Suki and her mother instantly stiffened, Han's words sizzling like hot metal. Suki turned wide eyes on her mother, who pulled a grimace, glaring at her—apparent—husband.

"YOU GOT MARRIED? AND DIDN'T TELL ME?!" Suki exclaimed. "What the hell, mom?"

"You've dating the Fire Lord and you didn't tell me!" her mother shot at her. "I'm a grown woman! I can do what I want!"

"YOU GOT MARRIED?!" Suki shouted again, her mouth dropping open.

"It was...sweetie, it was _very_ recently."

"How recent?"

"Two years," Nari mumbled.

"TWO YEARS?!"

"Now don't get upset!"

"UPSET? I'm not upset!" Suki said, gesturing wildly. Nari hurried out of the workshop, and Suki followed her, their voices chasing them. Zuko seemed to be rooted to the spot, unsure if he should follow his fiancee or stay the hell out of it.

Han solved his dilemma for him, passing him a bottle of something that smelled strongly of alcohol. Zuko wordlessly took a swig, the fire of it racing down into his belly. Han caught his eye, sighed and then grinned widely beneath his singed beard.

"Congrats."

"You too, I guess," Zuko said and took another swig, a smile on his lips.

 _(end)_


End file.
